The iconic doughnut shop at 268 N. Main St. in Centerville put out the word yesterday morning on Wednesday asking customers to “Help Us Help Houston” by donating items such as diapers, Depends, rubber boots and gloves, mosquito repellant, new underwear, and plastic totes with lids. The shop’s owners parked an empty panel truck in the parking lot and asked customers to fill it up.

Other local businesses and groups are finding ways to help the hurricane’s survivors, including The Caroline restaurant in Troy, which will donate $1 for every meal it serves through Saturday night to the Houston Foodbank.

Bill’s Donut Shop has become a fixture in the Centerville community and a favorite among doughnut enthusiasts from all over the region. It moved from its original downtown Dayton location to Centerville in 1967. In the 1970s, there were several Bill’s locations in the Dayton area, including Vandalia, Kettering and Huber Heights. The shop moved to its current location on Ohio 48 in 1979.

People also has ranked Bill’s #2 in the nation, behind only to Dough in New York City. And Bill’s also made the list of “The 15 Best Donut Shops in America” as compiled by BusinessInsider.com.

Bill’s was also the only doughnut shop in Ohio to be included in Saveur magazine’s March 2013 story entitled “The World’s Best Donuts: The 50 Finest Donut Shops in America.” A month later, USA Today named Bill’s one of the “10 Great Places to Get Doughnuts” in the U.S.